Lucky in autism?

So many people have told me that I’m lucky with my 2.5 y/o daughter’s autism, and I agree.

Now before you bite my head off, give me a minute to explain.

I’m not lucky that my daughter HAS autism. I would never say that. Anything that makes her life harder than it has to be is not lucky at all.

What I am saying, is that I’m lucky with the ‘type’ of autism she has, or rather the type she doesn’t have.

My daughter has no problems with sensory overload. She doesn’t mind bright lights or loud noises. She doesn’t mind being touched(though she doesn’t particularly like to cuddle or be held for long periods of time either). In this sense, I am very lucky.

I can take my daughter to the grocery store and she will sit quietly in the shopping cart, looking at all of the different things. Sometimes she will even point out things she likes and just babble away about them.

Next month I am taking her to see Disney junior live. I will enjoy it more than she will, but I am still so blessed that I have the opportunities to do these types of things with her.

Don’t get me wrong, sometimes her autism is very hard. She has a very small vocabulary and we both get frustrated when I can’t figure out what she wants or needs.

She can be very dramatic at the most random times. She will be fine one minute and then fall to the floor dramatically and start repeating “oh no” over and over again. She pretends to fall everywhere she goes.

She is afraid of other kids and will stand in a corner and watch them have fun, which breaks my heart. At the autism center, I always here that she will tel other kids to “shoo” when doing a group activity. She just doesn’t understand the idea of playing WITH someone. This is pretty normal for a two year old, she just pushes things a bit further.

Sometimes these things can seem overwhelming, but she has an amazing group that works with her and she will, hopefully, not have too many issues as she begins school in the next few years. We are very lucky.

There are some parents/kids who have a much harder time than we could ever understand. Some kids don’t liked to be touched. Some can’t go out for the simplest errand without feeling overwhelmed. Some will never be able to experience places like theme parks, concerts, or even pep rallies at a high school. Others will never be able to live alone and experience autonomy.

As a mother of a child with autism, I feel very very blessed. Things could be so much more difficult and I sometimes wonder if I’d be strong enough to handle a more difficult situation with as much grace and determination that I see in other parents.

My heart goes out to all parents of special needs children. I know that your hearts break and your will gets tested. I know that you wish things could be different for your child. You want them to have an easier life and be able to experience everything they can. Y’all are my heroes. You are strong and patient and your hearts are so big. Thank you for inspiring me to take it one day at a time and for showing me that autistic or not, my little girl is a blessing.